The Independent Advantage

We are independent and have never been affiliated with a big-box real estate brokerage. We can offer tons of cool stuff because we make our own rules, including:

Flexible Commission Structures. What does this mean? If you are a buyer and seller and you are OK with a little self-help, we can accommodate you. Rebates, discounts, credits – whatever you want to call it. If it works for us and it works for you, then let’s do it! Why not? Contact us for details.

No Annoying Marketing. You will not be added to any third-party or affiliated company marketing lists. We will not gather your data for future use. If you receive an email or phone call from us, it means something . Don’t get me wrong, we want your business, but we aren’t going to annoy the heck out of you trying to get it. Hopefully, you will love working with us and refer us to other people. We believe the best marketing is doing a good job.

Substance First, Style Second. We are all about YOU and YOUR transaction. You will not see glossy photos of us on marketing materials holding adorable puppies, appearing to take an important phone call, or graciously shaking hands with what appears to be a really happy person. We aren’t members of any platinum or gold Million-Dollar roundtables. We would never call ourselves “Top Producers” or “#1 Agent$” because that implies we are really good at marketing to consumers, which has nothing to do with helping YOU. We sweat the details. Transfer taxes, Zoning, Historic Districts, Financing, Land Records – we are huge nerds for this stuff. This is the stuff that matters.

Honesty. I t sounds simple, but sometimes it is hard. No bull-feathers. If you work with us, you will learn more about how residential real estate is bought and sold. You will probably learn so much that you will think you don’t needs us. But, honestly, we can help if you let us. If you think you don’t need us that much, see the part about flexible commission structures.

Efficiency. We aren’t going to waste your time with unnecessary big-box real estate office procedures and forms. No unnecessary trips to our office (you aren’t looking to buy office space, right?). We are as paperless as possible because it saves time – digital signatures are even better. We communicate in your preferred medium. Like email? Great. You want phone calls? Cool with us. Text? OK, that works too.

Personal Service. Your objectives will dictate the process, and we will do our best to maximize your results. Basically, we aren’t pushy.

Too Much Information Risk (TMIR). This website may give you so much information, you might think you can do this stuff yourself. Well, you can do it yourself. But you might mess it up. Or you might mess up and not even realize it. Helping people buy and sell the right way is what we do, and we do it pretty darn well. As you are digesting this information, please keep TMIR in mind. This isn’t rocket science, but it isn’t baking a pan of meatloaf either (you can do that yourself). And when it is YOUR house and YOUR money, it is impossible to be objective. Let us work for YOU.

Professionalism & Communication: We respect the boundaries of professional conduct. We answer phone calls and emails as quickly as possible, and hopefully provide a thoughtful response. We work for YOU, not for us. This should be a given, but it gets its own heading just to make sure you know this is how we work.

Property Search

buyers

No Pressure Selling. The house is what it is.

If you need us to push you to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of a sticky asset, then it probably isn’t a good idea. We can’t make the house have an extra bathroom or a bigger yard. You make the jump whenever you are ready. However, we will offer thoughtful and honest advice. Remember, the important details occur after you pick the house – that is where we become really valuable.

sellers

Remember, all the MLS listings are on the internet. A suitable price will make a potential buyer take notice. Great Pictures (and videos) will make that potential buyer put down the iPad and make an appointment to see the place. Finally, the Property has to show well. Price and Pictures get people in the door, but in the end – the house is what it is. If your house isn’t selling, one of those three P’s is the problem. All the other big-box brokerage marketing gimmicks are really just a distraction. It isn’t the Flyers, Open Houses, or any other bull-feathers. Keep it simple. We are going to do tons of research on comps, we are going to have great pictures, and we are going to help your house show as well as it possibly can. Sounds easy right? Well it isn’t that easy. Don’t forget the TMIR

investors

There are pros and cons for purchasing real property for investment purposes.

It isn’t for everyone. You might get better returns in other investment vehicles (ex. stocks and bonds), or you might not. And real estate is a sticky asset – it can be time consuming and costly to liquidate (sell and convert to cash). But for better or worse, we live in a society that allows for the ownership of real property. You really don’t have to do much other than own it (and some light property management) to create wealth. You don’t have to spend long hours in the office. You don’t have to have the next great invention. You don’t have to be especially talented. Heck, you don’t even need to be that coherent or a real person (ex., an LLC can own real property). Basically, you have to own it, maintain it, and keep it rented. It isn’t sexy, but it can be pretty effective at building wealth.